Major Fires

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As one of the most bushfire-prone environments in the world, Victoria has faced many devastating fires throughout its history.

We remember all of those who were impacted.

For generations of Victorians, there are fires that are etched into our collective memory.

Black Friday 1939

About Black Friday

The lessons from the tragic 1939 bushfires established the foundations of our modern fire services. Read more about Black Friday 1939.

Tarrawingee fire 1943

Tarrawingee fires

As a result of the Tarrawingee fire, the Government saw the urgent need to improve firefighting resources and equipment. Read more about Tarrawingee fire 1943.

Ash Wednesday 1983

Ash Wednesday fires

Years of severe drought and soaring temperatures set the scene for more than 180 destructive fires across Victoria. Read more about Ash Wednesday 1983.

Linton fire 1998

Linton 1998 fire

Following the deaths of five volunteer firefighters in a tragic truck burnover, the CFA was forever changed. Read more about the Linton Bushfire 1998.

Black Saturday 2009

Black Saturday fires

Victoria’s most fatal bushfire, the events of Black Saturday were a defining moment in changing the way we live with the threat of bushfire. Read more about Black Saturday 2009.

2019-2020 Bushfires

2020 Gippsland fire

The 2019-20 Black Summer fires raged for over 90 days, destroying more than 300 homes, claiming five lives and scorching 1.5 million hectares of land. Read more about the 2019-2020 Bushfires.

Hazelwood Mine Fire

For 45 days in 2014, a fire burned in the Hazelwood open cut coal mine, in the Latrobe Valley. CFA crews were faced with challenging conditions to safely and methodically reduce the size of the fire in the mine and protect the power station. Flare ups were frequent, given the nature of coal to burn continuously, coupled with extreme heat and changes in weather. Conditions were smoky, and the geology of the mine had to be carefully considered to avoid placing firefighters in danger and to effectively extinguish the fire.

On peak days, up to 200 firefighters plus crew were on site. The Latrobe Valley community were significantly affected by poor air quality caused by the incident. CFA worked closely with local authorities to keep the community informed about the fire and its impact on them.

Longford Gas Explosion

In September 1998, there was a major explosion at the Longford Gas Plant in Gippsland. The incident tragically kills two workers, one of whom was a CFA volunteer, and leaves eight others injured.

Fires at the plant last for four days. Many local CFA crews were the first to attend to the fire from the explosion, working alongside Esso employees to execute emergency procedures.

As the primary provider of natural gas to Victorians, the Longford gas plant explosion left the State without gas supplies for two weeks.

Tarrawingee 1943

The tragic deaths of 10 members of the Tarrawingee Brigade during the 1943 bushfires remains one of the greatest losses of firefighters in Victoria’s history. The fire started on December 22 at Bowser railway yard near the Hume Highway in dry conditions with high temperatures and strong winds.. It quickly spread towards Tarrawingee (east of Wangaratta), where crews were positioned ready to battle the fire.

Tragically the wind changed direction and the fire claimed the lives of eight men and two young boys. This fire, along with the Royal Commission of the 1939 bushfires, was also the catalyst for the formation of the Country Fire Authority, which occurred a year later in 1944.

In honour of the fallen firefighters, a monument was built near where the incident occurred. CFA has continued to hold services at the memorial to commemorate their bravery.

CFA has been involved in many fires over the years.

Since the early days of community bushfire brigades, to our modern volunteer brigades working with emergency service partners, the Victorian community has been at the heart of our bushfire response.

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2021 to 2022

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2022	23 January	Great Western Racecourse grassfire	18 cars destroyed
2022	1 January	Calder Hwy, Hatter grassfire	734 hectares
2021	31 December	Langkoop, Poolaijelo grassfire	7332 hectares. 5000 sheep lost and plantation loss of $10 million
2021	26 December	Almond processing factory fire, Bannerton	A fire in 5000 tonnes of almond hull spread into 6000 wooden bins and impacted the factory
2021	14 April	Two restaurants and a shop fire, Apollo Bay	Two restaurants and a shop destroyed

2019 to 2020

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2020	6 December	Puckapunyal Army Base Primary School fire	Structural collapse
2020	1 January	Buenba – Pheasant Creek Tk	90,003 hectares
2019	31 December	Shannonvale – McNamara Hut bushfire	44,308 hectares
2019	31 December	Hotham Heights – Blue Bag Range	35,700 hectares
2019	31 December	Abbeyard – Yarrabula South bushfire	151,221 hectares
2019	31 December	Cobungra – Dinner Plain Tk	10,758 hectares
2019	30 December	Budj Bim bushfire	6369 hectares
2019	29 December	Upper Murray Walwa bushfire	200,442 hectares
2019	25 December	Crawford River - Boulevard bushfire	2958 hectares
2019	20 December	Lexton - Ben Major bushfire	2792 hectares
2019	22 November	Tambo Complex	324,739 hectares
2019	22 November	Snowy Complex	662,500 hectares
2019	29 March	Bunkers Hill bushfire	One house and 16 outbuildings lost. Two houses damaged
2019	29 March	Mt Mercer bushfire	1547 hectares. 2300 sheep lost
2019	3 March	Cambarville Rd bushfire	2629 hectares
2019	2 March	Yinnar South bushfire	1913 hectares. Two houses and three outbuildings lost
2019	1 March	Bunyip State Park	15,596 hectares. 29 houses and 67 outbuildings lost
2019	30 January	Walhalla bushfire	8755 hectares. Two properties lost
2019	16 Janaury	Nunnett/Timbarra River Complex bushfire	22,705 hectares
2019	4 January	Rosedale bushfire	12,148 hectares. $22 million damage to plantations

2015 to 2018

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2018	7 December	Little River bushfire	1270 hectares. 38 properties lost
2018	17 March	South-West bushfire	16,828
2018	19 January	Big Desert bushfire	5596 hectares
2017	26 November	Cann River bushfire	9746 hectares
2017	12 March	Grass and scrub fire, Crooked River	3066 hectares
2016	25 December	Grass and scrub fire, Woomelang	1816 hectares
2016	23 February	Grass and scrub fire, Mt Bolton	1202 hectares
2015	20 December	Grass and scrub fire, Barnawartha	6708 hectares
2015	19 December	Wye River bushfire	2520 hectares. Significant loss of houses
2015	19 December	Grass and scrub fire, Scotsburn	4570 hectares
2015	3 November	Ship fire, Port of Portland	800 tonnes animal feed
2015	6 October	Grass and scrub fire, Lancefield	5055 hectares
2015	7 January	Grass and scrub fire, Little Desert	6000 hectares
2015	3 January	Grass and scrub fire, Brimpaen	4500 hectares
2015	3 January	Grass and scrub fire, Edenhope	1740 hectares
2015	2 January	Grass and scrub fire, Moyston	4900 hectares

2014

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2014	16 December	Grass and scrub fire, Stewarton	2000 hectares
2014	16 December	Grass and scrub fire, Pastoria	800 hectares
2014	16 December	Grass and scrub fire, Longwood East	5085 hectares
2014	16 December	Grass and scrub fire, Lake Rowan	5743 hectares
2014	16 December	Dairy processing factory fire	$5 million
2014	15 December	Grass and scrub fire, West Wodonga	800 hectares
2014	23 August	Seymour factory fire	One fatality
2014	9 February	Fire and hazardous material, Hazelwood coalmine	407 hectares, protracted incident
2014	9 February	Grass and scrub fire, Wunghnu	9283 hectares
2014	9 February	Grass and scrub fire, Mickleham-Kilmore	22,877 hectars
2014	9 February	Grass and scrub fire, Jack River	2894 hectares
2014	9 February	Grass and scrub fire, Gisborne	2800 hectares
2014	7 February	Grass and scrub fire, Morwell-Hernes Oak	2788 hectares
2014	16 January	Goongerah-Deddick Trail bushfire	165,806 hectares
2014	15 January	Grampians-Northern Complex bushfire	55,100 hectares
2014	14 January	Big Desert Wilderness Park bushfire	29,896 hectares
2014	14 January	Wyperfeld National Park bushfire	56,543 hectares

2013

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2013	26 December	Grass and scrub fire, Toolleen	1050 hectares
2013	27 March	Grass and scrub fire, Dereel	1280 hectares
2013	18 February	Grass and scrub fire, Kal Kallo	2040 hectares
2013	14 February	Grampians bushfire	35,875 hectares
2013	27 January	Grass and scrub fire, Violet Town	1285 hectares
2013	21 January	Bushfire, Harrietville	36,347 hectares
2013	8 January	Grass and scrub fire, Goroke	920 hectares
2013	8 Janurary	Grass and scrub fire, Chepstowe	1297 hectares
2013	4 January	Grass and scrub fire, Kentbruck	12,055 hectares

2010 to 2012

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2012	25 February	Grass and scrub fire, Bulgana	1000 hectares
2012	21 February	Milk factory fire, longwarry	$3 million
2011	11 December	Tanker fire, Rowville	20,000 litre fuel
2011	19 May	Tritech Lubricants factory fire, Dandenong	$37.5 million
2011	1 February	Tostaree scrub fire	Two house, 11,365 hectares
2010	17 December	Lascelles crop fire	800 hectares

2009 and Black Saturday

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2009	23 February	Muskvale / Daylesford, Upwey	3,000 hectares
2009	13 February	Wilson's Promontory	5,000 hectares
2009	7 February	Black Saturday Churchill, Kilmore and Murrundindi, Vectis (Horsham), Coleraine, Weerite, Redesdale, Harkaway, Upper Ferntree Gully, Maiden Gully / Eaglehawk, Lynbrook / Narre Warren, Beechworth. More detailed information.	173 people 2056 houses 239,637 hectares
2009	4-6 February	Bunyip State Park	31 houses 26,200 hectares
2009	29 January	Branxholme	40 hectares
2009	28 January	Delburn	44 houses 6,534 hectares

2000 to 2007

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
2007	1 March	Food Warehouse Fire - Wattle St, Springvale	About 50 firefighters took one hour to contain the blaze, preventing spread to a neighbouring school. 15 people in a nearby block of flats were evacuated as a precaution.
2007	17 January	DTM Logistics - Dandenong South	By the time the brigade arrived, the building was fully involved. Losses were extensive including contents and vehicles.
2006	December-February 2007	Great Divide Complex	33 houses 13 houses damaged 255 other buildings 1334 animals and livestock Fencing: 1,357km 1,154,828 hectares
2006	12 October	Morwell Open Cut Mine	Spontaneous Ignition
2006	19 January	Grampians	2 people 41 houses 9 houses damaged 231 other buildings 65,598 animals and livestock Fencing: 1,973 116,380 hectares
2003	8 January-19 March	North East and Gippsland fires 71 days duration	41 houses 3 bridges 213 other structures 10,000 livestock 1.2 million hectares
2002	March	Glenaroua	1 house 6,100 hectares grass and scrub
2001	December- January 2002	Deployment of CFA to NSW and ACT fires	80 trucks and 2794 CFA personnel were committed for 14 days
2000	18 December	Dadswells Bridge	1 house damaged 14,500 hectares of crop and pasture 8000 livestock (mainly sheep) 500km of fencing

1926 to 1998

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
1998	2 December	Linton	5 CFA firefighters 1 CFA tanker 780 hectares
1998	25 September	Longford Plant	2 people 8 Injured Gas Plant exploded due to leaking vapours.
1997	21 January	Dandenong Ranges, Creswick, Heathcote, Teddywaddy, Gough's Bay.	3 people 41 houses 1 CFA fire truck
1990	27 December	Strathbogie	1 person 17 houses More than 12,000 livestock
1985	14 January	Maryborough, Avoca, Little River.	3 people 182 houses 400 farms 46,000 livestock
1983	16 February	Ash Wednesday Monivae, Branxholme, Cockatoo, East Trentham, Mt Macedon, Otways, Warburton, Cudgee, Upper Beaconsfield. More detailed information.	47 people More than 27,000 livestock Over 2000 houses/shops
1978	15 January	Bairnsdale	2 people 1 house 6500 livestock
1977	12 February	Penshurst, Tatyoon, Streatham, Creswick, Pura Pura, Werneth, Cressy, Rokewood, Beeac, Mingay, Lismore, Little River.	4 people 108 houses/shops More than 236,000 livestock
1969	8 January	Lara, Daylesford, Bulgana, Yea, Darraweit, Kangaroo Flat, Korongvale.	22 people 230 houses 21 schools/church/halls More than 12,000 livestock 800,000 acres
1968	19 February	The Basin, Upwey	64 houses
1965	21 February- 13 March	Gippsland Fires burned for 17 days	More than 60 houses/shops More than 4000 livestock 750,000 acres of forest 40,000 acres of grassland
1965	17 January	Longwood	7 people (all from one family) 1 CFA firefighter 6 houses
1944	14 January -14 February	Central & western districts, Morwell, Yallourn	32 people 700 houses Huge livestock losses
1943	22 December	Wangaratta	10 people Thousands of acres of grass country
1942	3-4 March	Hamilton, South Gippsland - Yarram (burning on a 60 mile front)	1 person More than 20 houses 100 sheep 2 farms
1939	13 January	Black Friday Rubicon, Woods Point, Warrandyte, Noojee, Omeo, Mansfield, Dromana, Yarra Glen, Warburton, Erica.	71 people More than 650 houses/shops
1926	n/a	Noojee, Kinglake, Warburton, Erica, Dandenong Ranges.	People and property

1851 - Black Thursday

Year	Date	Name/Location	Losses/Summary
1851	6 February	Black Thursday Wimmera, Portland, Gippsland, Plenty Ranges, Westernport, Dandenong districts, Heidelberg.	12 people 1,000,000 plus livestock